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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
题源：2021年新高考Ⅰ卷C篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：环境保护 词数：293 建议用时：7分钟
When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans had taken care of these precious natural resources wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl (水禽) were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat (栖息地).
In 1934, with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory (迁徙的) waterfowl and the wetlands so vital to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. “Ding” Darling, a political cartoonist from Des Moines, Iowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure the survival of our natural resources.
About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System—a fact that ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
215. What was a cause of the waterfowl population decline in North America?
A. Loss of wetlands.
B. Popularity of water sports.
C. Pollution of rivers.
D. Arrival of other wild animals.
216. What does the underlined word “decimate” mean in the first paragraph?
A. Acquire.
B. Export.
C. Destroy.
D. Distribute.
217. What is a direct result of the Act passed in 1934?
A. The stamp price has gone down.
B. The migratory birds have flown away.
C. The hunters have stopped hunting.
D. The government has collected money.
218. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A. The Federal Duck Stamp Story
B. The National Wildlife Refuge System
C. The Benefits of Saving Waterfowl
D. The History of Migratory Bird Hunting
题源：2021年新高考Ⅰ卷D篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：做人与做事 词数：290 建议用时：8分钟
Popularization has in some cases changed the original meaning of emotional (情感的) intelligence. Many people now misunderstand emotional intelligence as almost everything desirable in a person's makeup that cannot be measured by an IQ test, such as character, motivation, confidence, mental stability, optimism and “people skills.” Research has shown that emotional skills may contribute to some of these qualities, but most of them move far beyond skill-based emotional intelligence.
We prefer to describe emotional intelligence as a specific set of skills that can be used for either good or bad purposes. The ability to accurately understand how others are feeling may be used by a doctor to find how best to help her patients, while a cheater might use it to control potential victims. Being emotionally intelligent does not necessarily make one a moral person.
Although popular beliefs regarding emotional intelligence run far ahead of what research can reasonably support, the overall effects of the publicity have been more beneficial than harmful. The most positive aspect of this popularization is a new and much needed emphasis (重视) on emotion by employers, educators and others interested in promoting social well-being. The popularization of emotional intelligence has helped both the public and researchers re-evaluate the functionality of emotions and how they serve people adaptively in everyday life.
Although the continuing popular appeal of emotional intelligence is desirable, we hope that such attention will excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study of emotion. It is our hope that in coming decades, advances in science will offer new perspectives (视角) from which to study how people manage their lives. Emotional intelligence, with its focus on both head and heart, may serve to point us in the right direction.
219. What is a common misunderstanding of emotional intelligence?
A. It can be measured by an IQ test.
B. It helps to exercise a person's mind.
C. It includes a set of emotional skills.
D. It refers to a person's positive qualities.
220. Why does the author mention “doctor” and “cheater” in paragraph 2?
A. To explain a rule.
B. To clarify a concept.
C. To present a fact.
D. To make a prediction.
221. What is the author's attitude to the popularization of emotional intelligence?
A. Favorable.
B. Intolerant.
C. Doubtful.
D. Unclear.
222. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about concerning emotional intelligence?
A. Its appeal to the public.
B. Expectations for future studies.
C. Its practical application.
D. Scientists with new perspectives.
题源：2021年全国甲卷B篇 难度：★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：256 建议用时：6分钟
Port Lympne Reserve, which runs a breeding (繁育) programme, has welcomed the arrival of a rare black rhino calf (犀牛幼崽). When the tiny creature arrived on January 31, she became the 40th black rhino to be born at the reserve. And officials at Port Lympne were delighted with the new arrival, especially as black rhinos are known for being difficult to breed in captivity (圈养).
Paul Beer, head of rhino section at Port Lympne, said: “Obviously we're all absolutely delighted to welcome another calf to our black rhino family. She's healthy, strong and already eager to play and explore. Her mother, Solio, is a first-time mum and she is doing a fantastic job. It's still a little too cold for them to go out into the open, but as soon as the weather warms up, I have no doubt that the little one will be out and about exploring and playing every day.”
The adorable female calf is the second black rhino born this year at the reserve, but it is too early to tell if the calves will make good candidates to be returned to protected areas of the wild. The first rhino to be born at Port Lympne arrived on January 5 to first-time mother Kisima and weighed about 32kg. His mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all born at the reserve and still live there.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the global black rhino population has dropped as low as 5500, giving the rhinos a “critically endangered” status.
223. Which of the following best describes the breeding programme?
A. Costly.
B. Controversial.
C. Ambitious.
D. Successful.
224. What does Paul Beer say about the new-born rhino?
A. She loves staying with her mother.
B. She dislikes outdoor activities.
C. She is in good condition.
D. She is sensitive to heat.
225. What similar experience do Solio and Kisima have?
A. They had their first born in January.
B. They enjoyed exploring new places.
C. They lived with their grandmothers.
D. They were brought to the reserve young.
226. What can be inferred about Port Lympne Reserve?
A. The rhino section will be open to the public.
B. It aims to control the number of the animals.
C. It will continue to work with the World Wildlife Fund.
D. Some of its rhinos may be sent to the protected wild areas.
题源：2021年全国甲卷D篇 难度：★★★ 话题：做人与做事 词数：296 建议用时：8分钟
Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let's state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender (性别) are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here's the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we're all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors (因素) like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance (毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world.”
227. What does the author think of victors' standards for joining the genius club?
A. They're unfair.
B. They're conservative.
C. They're objective.
D. They're strict.
228. What can we infer about girls from the study in Scien ce ?
A. They think themselves smart.
B. They look up to great thinkers.
C. They see gender differences earlier than boys.
D. They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs.
229. Why are more geniuses known to the public?
A. Improved global communication.
B. Less discrimination against women.
C. Acceptance of victors' concepts.
D. Changes in people's social positions.
230. What is the best title for the text?
A. Geniuses Think Alike
B. Genius Takes Many Forms
C. Genius and Intelligence
D. Genius and Luck
题源：2021年全国乙卷C篇 难度：★★★ 话题：环境保护 词数：275 建议用时：7分钟
You've heard that plastic is polluting the oceans—between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.
At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called “Strawpocalypse,” a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source (来源) of plastic pollution, but they've recently come under fire because most people don't need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that's part of Von Wong's artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.
In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate (说明) a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload's worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled “Truckload of Plastic,” Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they'd been dumped (倾倒) from a truck all at once.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
231. What are Von Wong's artworks intended for?
A. Beautifying the city he lives in.
B. Introducing eco-friendly products.
C. Drawing public attention to plastic waste.
D. Reducing garbage on the beach.
232. Why does the author discuss plastic straws in paragraph 3?
A. To show the difficulty of their recycling.
B. To explain why they are useful.
C. To voice his views on modern art.
D. To find a substitute for them.
233. What effect would “Truckload of Plastic” have on viewers?
A. Calming.
B. Disturbing.
C. Refreshing.
D. Challenging.
234. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Artists' Opinions on Plastic Safety
B. Media Interest in Contemporary Art
C. Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies
D. Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures
题源：2021年全国乙卷D篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：334 建议用时：8分钟
During an interview for one of my books, my interviewer said something I still think about often. Annoyed by the level of distraction (干扰) in his open office, he said, “That's why I have a membership at the coworking space across the street—so I can focus.” His comment struck me as strange. After all, coworking spaces also typically use an open office layout (布局). But I recently came across a study that shows why his approach works.
The researchers examined various levels of noise on participants as they completed tests of creative thinking. They were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to various noise levels in the background, from total silence to 50 decibels (分贝), 70 decibels, and 85 decibels. The differences between most of the groups were statistically insignificant; however, the participants in the 70 decibels group—those exposed to a level of noise similar to background chatter in a coffee shop—significantly outperformed the other groups. Since the effects were small, this may suggest that our creative thinking does not differ that much in response to total silence and 85 decibels of background noise.
But since the results at 70 decibels were significant, the study also suggests that the right level of background noise—not too loud and not total silence—may actually improve one's creative thinking ability. The right level of background noise may interrupt our normal patterns of thinking just enough to allow our imaginations to wander, without making it impossible to focus. This kind of “distracted focus” appears to be the best state for working on creative tasks.
So why do so many of us hate our open offices? The problem may be that, in our offices, we can't stop ourselves from getting drawn into others' conversations while we're trying to focus. Indeed, the researchers found that face-to-face interactions and conversations affect the creative process, and yet a coworking space or a coffee shop provides a certain level of noise while also providing freedom from interruptions.
235. Why does the interviewer prefer a coworking space?
A. It helps him concentrate.
B. It blocks out background noise.
C. It has a pleasant atmosphere.
D. It encourages face-to-face interactions.
236. Which level of background noise may promote creative thinking ability?
A. Total silence.
B. 50 decibels.
C. 70 decibels.
D. 85 decibels.
237. What makes an open office unwelcome to many people?
A. Personal privacy unprotected.
B. Limited working space.
C. Restrictions on group discussion.
D. Constant interruptions.
238. What can we infer about the author from the text?
A. He's a news reporter.
B. He's an office manager.
C. He's a professional designer.
D. He's a published writer.
题源：2020年全国Ⅰ卷C篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：文学、艺术与体育 词数：307 建议用时：7分钟
Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport's rules require that a race walker's knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It's this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says. According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories (卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner's knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport's strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
239. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?
A. They must run long distances.
B. They are qualified for the marathon.
C. They have to follow special rules.
D. They are good at swinging their legs.
240. What advantage does race walking have over running?
A. It's more popular at the Olympics.
B. It's less challenging physically.
C. It's more effective in body building.
D. It's less likely to cause knee injuries.
241. What is Dr. Norberg's suggestion for someone trying race walking?
A. Getting experts' opinions.
B. Having a medical checkup.
C. Hiring an experienced coach.
D. Doing regular exercises.
242. Which word best describes the author's attitude to race walking?
A. Skeptical.
B. Objective.
C. Tolerant.
D. Conservative.
题源：2020年全国Ⅱ卷B篇 难度：★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：245 建议用时：6分钟
Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.
Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children at the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition (认知) after controlling for differences in parents' income, education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said.
The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age.
“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their ability to rotate (旋转) and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.
The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of the children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than the parents of girls.
The findings were published in the journal Developmental Scien ce.
243. In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play?
A. Building confidence.
B. Developing spatial skills.
C. Learning self-control.
D. Gaining high-tech knowledge.
244. What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment?
A. Parents' age.
B. Children's imagination.
C. Parents' education.
D. Child-parent relationship.
245. How do boys differ from girls in puzzle play?
A. They play with puzzles more often.
B. They tend to talk less during the game.
C. They prefer to use more spatial language.
D. They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.
246. What is the text mainly about?
A. A mathematical method.
B. A scientific study.
C. A woman psychologist.
D. A teaching program.
题源：2020年全国Ⅱ卷C篇 难度：★★★ 话题：自然生态 词数：326 建议用时：7分钟
When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn't cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion (时装) enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria (海狸鼠).
Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur—unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year,” says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.
Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month.
Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. “The ecosystem down there can't handle this non-native species (物种). It's destroying the environment. It's them or us,” says Michael Massimi, an expert in this field.
The fur trade kept nutria check for decades, but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s, the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy.
Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it's not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton's job these days is trying to promote fur.
Then there's Righteous Fur and its unusual fashions. Model Paige Morgan says, “To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them—I think that's going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York.” Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She's trying to come up with a label to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly.
247. What is the purpose of the fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn?
A. To promote guilt-free fur.
B. To expand the fashion market.
C. To introduce a new brand.
D. To celebrate a winter holiday.
248. Why are scientists concerned about nutria?
A. Nutria damage the ecosystem seriously.
B. Nutria are an endangered species.
C. Nutria hurt local cat-sized animals.
D. Nutria are illegally hunted.
249. What does the underlined word “collapsed” in paragraph 5 probably mean?
A. Boomed.
B. Became mature.
C. Remained stable.
D. Crashed.
250. What can we infer about wearing fur in New York according to Morgan?
A. It's formal.
B. It's risky.
C. It's harmful.
D. It's traditional.
题源：2020年全国Ⅲ卷D篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：297 建议用时：8分钟
We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes (基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle-raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell , a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation—not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they've also built houses on stilts (支柱) in coastal waters. “They are simply a stranger to the land,” said Rodney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. “We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders,” Dr. Jubilado said. “I could see them actually walking under the sea.”
In 2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. “It seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population,” said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
251. What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?
A. Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers.
B. New knowledge of human evolution.
C. Recent findings of human origin.
D. Significance of food selection.
252. Where do the Bajau build their houses?
A. In valleys.
B. Near rivers.
C. On the beach.
D. Off the coast.
253. Why was the young Jubilado astonished at the Bajau?
A. They could walk on stilts all day.
B. They had a superb way of fishing.
C. They could stay long underwater.
D. They lived on both land and water.
254. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea
B. Highlanders' Survival Skills
C. Basic Methods of Genetic Research
D. The World's Best Divers
题源：2019年全国Ⅰ卷C篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：242 建议用时：7分钟
As data and identity theft becomes more and more common, the market is growing for biometric (生物测量) technologies—like fingerprint scans—to keep others out of private e-spaces. At present, these technologies are still expensive, though.
Researchers from Georgia Tech say that they have come up with a low-cost device (装置) that gets around this problem: a smart keyboard. This smart keyboard precisely measures the cadence (节奏) with which one types and the pressure fingers apply to each key. The keyboard could offer a strong layer of security by analyzing things like the force of a user's typing and the time between key presses. These patterns are unique to each person. Thus, the keyboard can determine people's identities, and by extension, whether they should be given access to the computer it's connected to—regardless of whether someone gets the password right.
It also doesn't require a new type of technology that people aren't already familiar with. Everybody uses a keyboard and everybody types differently.
In a study describing the technology, the researchers had 100 volunteers type the word “touch” four times using the smart keyboard. Data collected from the device could be used to recognize different participants based on how they typed, with very low error rates. The researchers say that the keyboard should be pretty straightforward to commercialize and is mostly made of inexpensive, plastic-like parts. The team hopes to make it to market in the near future.
255. Why do the researchers develop the smart keyboard?
A. To reduce pressure on keys.
B. To improve accuracy in typing.
C. To replace the password system.
D. To cut the cost of e-space protection.
256. What makes the invention of the smart keyboard possible?
A. Computers are much easier to operate.
B. Fingerprint scanning techniques develop fast.
C. Typing patterns vary from person to person.
D. Data security measures are guaranteed.
257. What do the researchers expect of the smart keyboard?
A. It'll be environment-friendly.
B. It'll reach consumers soon.
C. It'll be made of plastics.
D. It'll help speed up typing.
258. Where is this text most likely from?
A. A diary.
B. A guidebook.
C. A novel.
D. A magazine.
题源：2019年全国Ⅱ卷C篇 难度：★★★ 话题：做人与做事 词数：318 建议用时：7分钟
Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach's Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel's “me” time. And like more Americans, she's not alone.
A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half (53 percent) have breakfast alone and nearly half (46 percent) have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.
“I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know?” Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. “Today, I just wanted some time to myself,” she said.
Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he's on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction (交流). “I reflect on how my day's gone and think about the rest of the week,” he said. “It's a chance for self-reflection. You return to work recharged and with a plan.”
That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. “It doesn't feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology,” said Laurie Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics for the report.
259. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about?
A. Food variety.
B. Eating habits.
C. Table manners.
D. Restaurant service.
260. Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch?
A. To meet with her coworkers.
B. To catch up with her work.
C. To have some time on her own.
D. To collect data for her report.
261. What do we know about Mazoleny?
A. He makes videos for the bar.
B. He's fond of the food at the bar.
C. He interviews customers at the bar.
D. He's familiar with the barkeeper.
262. What is the text mainly about?
A. The trend of having meals alone.
B. The importance of self-reflection.
C. The stress from working overtime.
D. The advantage of wireless technology.
题源：2019年全国Ⅱ卷D篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：宇宙探索 词数：269 建议用时：8分钟
Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms (微生物) from our bodies grow uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It's turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not just any kids. It is depending on NASA HUNCH high school classrooms, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.
HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years, Gordon's students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they're close to a solution (解决方案). “We don't give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers,” says Florence Gold, a project manager.
“There are no tests,” Gordon says. “There is no graded homework. There almost are no grades, other than 'Are you working towards your goal?' Basically, it's 'I've got to produce this product and then, at the end of the year, present it to NASA.' Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and ... it's not a very nice thing at times. It's a hard business review of your product.”
Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact (影响) on college admissions and practical life skills. “These kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don't teach.” And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.
263. What do we know about the bacteria in the International Space Station?
A. They are hard to get rid of.
B. They lead to air pollution.
C. They appear in different forms.
D. They damage the instruments.
264. What is the purpose of the HUNCH program?
A. To strengthen teacher-student relationships.
B. To sharpen students' communication skills.
C. To allow students to experience zero gravity.
D. To link space technology with school education.
265. What do the NASA engineers do for the students in the program?
A. Check their product.
B. Guide project designs.
C. Adjust work schedules.
D. Grade their homework.
266. What is the best title for the text?
A. NASA: The Home of Astronauts
B. Space: The Final Homework Frontier
C. Nature: An Outdoor Classroom
D. HUNCH: A College Admission Reform
题源：2019年全国Ⅲ卷D篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：319 建议用时：8分钟
Monkeys seem to have a way with numbers.
A team of researchers trained three Rhesus monkeys to associate 26 clearly different symbols consisting of numbers and selective letters with 0—25 drops of water or juice as a reward. The researchers then tested how the monkeys combined—or added—the symbols to get the reward.
Here's how Harvard Medical School scientist Margaret Livingstone, who led the team, described the experiment: In their cages the monkeys were provided with touch screens. On one part of the screen, a symbol would appear, and on the other side two symbols inside a circle were shown. For example, the number 7 would flash on one side of the screen and the other end would have 9 and 8. If the monkeys touched the left side of the screen they would be rewarded with seven drops of water or juice; if they went for the circle, they would be rewarded with the sum of the numbers—17 in this example.
After running hundreds of tests, the researchers noted that the monkeys would go for the higher values more than half the time, indicating that they were performing a calculation, not just memorizing the value of each combination.
When the team examined the results of the experiment more closely, they noticed that the monkeys tended to underestimate (低估) a sum compared with a single symbol when the two were close in value—sometimes choosing, for example, a 13 over the sum of 8 and 6. The underestimation was systematic: When adding two numbers, the monkeys always paid attention to the larger of the two, and then added only a fraction (小部分) of the smaller number to it.
“This indicates that there is a certain way quantity is represented in their brains,” Dr. Livingstone says. “But in this experiment what they're doing is paying more attention to the big number than the little one.”
267. What did the researchers do to the monkeys before testing them?
A. They fed them.
B. They named them.
C. They trained them.
D. They measured them.
268. How did the monkeys get their reward in the experiment?
A. By drawing a circle.
B. By touching a screen.
C. By watching videos.
D. By mixing two drinks.
269. What did Livingstone's team find about the monkeys?
A. They could perform basic addition.
B. They could understand simple words.
C. They could memorize numbers easily.
D. They could hold their attention for long.
270. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A. Entertainment.
B. Health.
C. Education.
D. Science.
题源：2018年全国Ⅰ卷C篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：历史、社会与文化 词数：304 建议用时：7分钟
Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit (联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.
Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialisation, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.
At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages, often spoken by many people, while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 languages; the Americas about 1,000; Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number (中位数) of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction (消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico (150), Lipan Apache in the United States (two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.
271. What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?
A. They developed very fast.
B. They were large in number.
C. They had similar patterns.
D. They were closely connected.
272. Which of the following best explains “dominant” underlined in paragraph 2?
A. Complex.
B. Advanced.
C. Powerful.
D. Modern.
273. How many languages are spoken by less than 6,000 people at present?
A. About 6,800.
B. About 3,400.
C. About 2,400.
D. About 1,200.
274. What is the main idea of the text?
A. New languages will be created.
B. People's lifestyles are reflected in languages.
C. Human development results in fewer languages.
D. Geography determines language evolution.
题源：2018年全国Ⅱ卷B篇 难度：★★★ 话题：生活与学习 词数：258 建议用时：6分钟
Many of us love July because it's the month when nature's berries and stone fruits are in abundance. These colourful and sweet jewels from British Columbia's fields are little powerhouses of nutritional protection.
Of the common berries, strawberries are highest in vitamin C, although, because of their seeds, raspberries contain a little more protein (蛋白质), iron and zinc (not that fruits have much protein). Blueberries are particularly high in antioxidants (抗氧化物质). The yellow and orange stone fruits such as peaches are high in the carotenoids we turn into vitamin A and which are antioxidants. As for cherries (樱桃), they are so delicious who cares? However, they are rich in vitamin C.
When combined with berries or slices of other fruits, frozen bananas make an excellent base for thick, cooling fruit shakes and low fat “ice cream”. For this purpose, select ripe bananas for freezing as they are much sweeter. Remove the skin and place them in plastic bags or containers and freeze. If you like, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the bananas will prevent them turning brown. Frozen bananas will last several weeks, depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer.
If you have a juicer , you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit. Out comes a “soft-serve” creamy dessert, to be eaten right away. This makes a fun activity for a children's party; they love feeding the fruit and frozen bananas into the top of the machine and watching the ice cream come out below.
275. What does the author seem to like about cherries?
A. They contain protein.
B. They are high in vitamin A.
C. They have a pleasant taste.
D. They are rich in antioxidants.
276. Why is fresh lemon juice used in freezing bananas?
A. To make them smell better.
B. To keep their colour.
C. To speed up their ripening.
D. To improve their nutrition.
277. What is “a juicer” in the last paragraph?
A. A dessert.
B. A drink.
C. A container.
D. A machine.
278. From which is the text probably taken?
A. A biology textbook.
B. A health magazine.
C. A research paper.
D. A travel brochure.
题源：2022年新高考I卷B篇 难度：★★ 话题：环境保护 词数：347 建议用时：5分钟
Like most of us, I try to be mindful of food that goes to waste. The arugula (芝麻菜) was to make a nice green salad, rounding out a roast chicken dinner. But I ended up working late. Then friends called with a dinner invitation. I stuck the chicken in the freezer. But as days passed, the arugula went bad. Even worse, I had unthinkingly bought way too much; I could have made six salads with what I threw out.
In a world where nearly 800 million people a year go hungry, “food waste goes against the moral grain,” as Elizabeth Royte writes in this month's cover story. It's jaw-dropping how much perfectly good food is thrown away—from “ugly” (but quite eatable) vegetables rejected by grocers to large amounts of uneaten dishes thrown into restaurant garbage cans.
Producing food that no one eats wastes the water, fuel, and other resources used to grow it. That makes food waste an environmental problem. In fact, Royte writes, “if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world.”
If that's hard to understand, let's keep it as simple as the arugula at the back of my refrigerator. Mike Curtin sees my arugula story all the time—but for him, it's more like 12 boxes of donated strawberries nearing their last days. Curtin is CEO of DC Central Kitchen in Washington. D.C., which recovers food and turns it into healthy meals. Last year it recovered more than 807,500 pounds of food by taking donations and collecting blemished (有瑕疵的) produce that otherwise would have rotted in fields. And the strawberries? Volunteers will wash, cut, and freeze or dry them for use in meals down the road.
Such methods seem obvious, yet so often we just don't think. “Everyone can play a part in reducing waste, whether by not purchasing more food than necessary in your weekly shopping or by asking restaurants to not include the side dish you won't eat.” Curtin says.
279. What does the author want to show by telling the arugula story?
A. We pay little attention to food waste.
B. We waste food unintentionally at times.
C. We waste more vegetables than meat.
D. We have good reasons for wasting food.
280. What is a consequence of food waste according to the text?
A. Moral decline.
B. Environmental harm.
C. Energy shortage.
D. Worldwide starvation.
281. What does Curtin's company do?
A. It produces kitchen equipment.
B. It turns rotten arugula into clean fuel.
C. It helps local farmers grow fruits.
D. It makes meals out of unwanted food.
282. What does Curtin suggest people do?
A. Buy only what is needed.
B. Reduce food consumption.
C. Go shopping once a week.
D. Eat in restaurants less often.
题源：2022年新高考I卷C篇 难度：★★ 话题：社会服务与人际沟通 词数：298 建议用时：5分钟
The elderly residents (居民) in care homes in London are being given hens to look after to stop them feeling lonely.
The project was dreamed up by a local charity (慈善组织) to reduce loneliness and improve elderly people's wellbeing. It is also being used to help patients suffering dementia, a serious illness of the mind. Staff in care homes have reported a reduction in the use of medicine where hens are in use.
Among those taking part in the project is 80-year-old Ruth Xavier. She said: “I used to keep hens when I was younger and had to prepare their breakfast each morning before I went to school.”
“I like the project a lot. I am down there in my wheelchair in the morning letting the hens out and down there again at night to see they've gone to bed.”
“It's good to have a different focus. People have been bringing their children in to see the hens and residents come and sit outside to watch them. I'm enjoying the creative activities, and it feels great to have done something useful.”
There are now 700 elderly people looking after hens in 20 care homes in the North East, and the charity has been given financial support to roll it out countrywide.
Wendy Wilson, extra care manager at 60 Penfold Street, one of the first to embark on the project, said: “Residents really welcome the idea of the project and the creative sessions. We are looking forward to the benefits and fun the project can bring to people here.”
Lynn Lewis, director of Notting Hill Pathways, said: “We are happy to be taking part in the project. It will really help connect our residents through a shared interest and creative activities.”
283. What is the purpose of the project?
A. To ensure harmony in care homes.
B. To provide part-time jobs for the aged.
C. To raise money for medical research.
D. To promote the elderly people's welfare.
284. How has the project affected Ruth Xavier?
A. She has learned new life skills.
B. She has gained a sense of achievement.
C. She has recovered her memory.
D. She has developed a strong personality.
285. What do the underlined words “embark on” mean in paragraph 7?
A. Improve.
B. Oppose.
C. Begin.
D. Evaluate.
286. What can we learn about the project from the last two paragraphs?
A. It is well received.
B. It needs to be more creative.
C. It is highly profitable.
D. It takes ages to see the results.
题源：2022年新高考I卷D篇 难度：★★★ 话题：生活与学习 词数：338 建议用时：6分钟
Human speech contains more than 2,000 different sounds, from the common “m” and “a” to the rare clicks of some southern African languages. But why are certain sounds more common than others? A ground-breaking, five-year study shows that diet-related changes in human bite led to new speech sounds that are now found in half the world's languages.
More than 30 years ago, the scholar Charles Hockett noted that speech sounds called labiodentals, such as “f” and “v”, were more common in the languages of societies that ate softer foods. Now a team of researchers led by Damián Blasi at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has found how and why this trend arose.
They discovered that the upper and lower front teeth of ancient human adults were aligned (对齐), making it hard to produce labiodentals, which are formed by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth. Later, our jaws changed to an overbite structure (结构), making it easier to produce such sounds.
The team showed that this change in bite was connected with the development of agriculture in the Neolithic period. Food became easier to chew at this point. The jawbone didn't have to do as much work and so didn't grow to be so large.
Analysis of a language database also confirmed that there was a global change in the sound of world languages after the Neolithic age, with the use of “f” and “v” increasing remarkably during the last few thousand years. These sounds are still not found in the languages of many hunter-gatherer people today.
This research overturns the popular view that all human speech sounds were present when human beings evolved around 300,000 years ago. “The set of speech sounds we use has not necessarily remained stable since the appearance of human beings, but rather the huge variety of speech sounds that we find today is the product of a complex interplay of things like biological change and cultural evolution,” said Steven Moran, a member of the research team.
287. Which aspect of the human speech sound does Damián Blasi's research focus on?
A. Its variety.
B. Its distribution.
C. Its quantity.
D. Its development.
288. Why was it difficult for ancient human adults to produce labiodentals?
A. They had fewer upper teeth than lower teeth.
B. They could not open and close their lips easily.
C. Their jaws were not conveniently structured.
D. Their lower front teeth were not large enough.
289. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?
A. Supporting evidence for the research results.
B. Potential application of the research findings.
C. A further explanation of the research methods.
D. A reasonable doubt about the research process.
290. What does Steven Moran say about the set of human speech sounds?
A. It is key to effective communication.
B. It contributes much to cultural diversity.
C. It is a complex and dynamic system.
D. It drives the evolution of human beings.
题源：2022年全国甲卷B篇 难度：★★ 话题：自然生态 词数：255 建议用时：5分钟
Goffin's cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skillful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys” to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.
In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical (对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference.” In the experiment, Goffin's cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin's cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues (线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
291. How did the cockatoos get the nut from the box in the experiment?
A. By following instructions.
B. By using a tool.
C. By turning the box around.
D. By removing the lid.
292. Which task can human one-year-olds most likely complete according to the text?
A. Using a key to unlock a door.
B. Telling parrots from other birds.
C. Putting a ball into a round hole.
D. Grouping toys of different shapes.
293. What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos?
A. How far they are able to see.
B. How they track moving objects.
C. Whether they are smarter than monkeys.
D. Whether they use a sense of touch in the test.
294. Which can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Cockatoos: Quick Error Checkers
B. Cockatoos: Independent Learners
C. Cockatoos: Clever Signal-Readers
D. Cockatoos: Skillful Shape-Sorters
题源：2022年全国甲卷C篇 难度：★★ 话题：生活与学习 词数：305 建议用时：5分钟
As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins (企鹅) longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.
Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career (职业) as a professional dancer, she toured in the U.K., but always longed to explore further When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plun ge .
After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. “I just decided wanted to go,” she says. “I had no idea about what I'd find there and I wasn't nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”
In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she'd never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. “From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says. “I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. You could still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater.”
The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.
295. Which of the following best explains “take the plunge” underlined in paragraph 2?
A. Try challenging things.
B. Take a degree.
C. Bring back lost memories.
D. Stick to a promise.
296. What made Ginni decide on the trip to Antarctica?
A. Lovely penguins.
B. Beautiful scenery.
C. A discount fare.
D. A friend's invitation.
297. What does Ginni think about Antarctica after the journey?
A. It could be a home for her.
B. It should be easily accessible.
C. It should be well preserved.
D. It needs to be fully introduced.
298. What is the text mainly about?
A. A childhood dream.
B. An unforgettable experience.
C. Sailing around the world.
D. Meeting animals in Antarctica.
题源：2022年全国乙卷C篇 难度：★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：314 建议用时：5分钟
Can a small group of drones (无人机) guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today's “eyes in the sky” technology to making sure that the millions of kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure (基础设施) worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient (高效) across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews' efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don't need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
299. What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?
A. The use of drones in checking on power lines.
B. Drones' ability to work at high altitudes.
C. The reduction of cost in designing drones.
D. Drones' reliable performance in remote areas.
300. What does “maintenance” underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Personnel safety.
B. Assistance from drones.
C. Inspection and repair.
D. Construction of infrastructure.
301. What function is expected of the rail drones?
A. To provide early warning.
B. To make trains run automatically.
C. To earn profits for the crews.
D. To accelerate transportation.
302. Which is the most suitable title for the text?
A. What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones
B. How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded
C. What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face
D. How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways
题源：2022年全国乙卷D篇 难度：★★★★ 话题：科学与技术 词数：310 建议用时：6分钟
The Government's sugar tax on soft drinks has brought in half as much money as Ministers first predicted it would generate, the first official data on the policy has shown.
First announced in April, 2016, the tax which applies to soft drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, was introduced to help reduce childhood obesity (肥胖). It is believed that today's children and teenagers are consuming three times the recommended level of sugar, putting them at a higher risk of the disease.
Initially the sugar tax was expected to make £520m a year for the Treasury. However, data of the first six months showed it would make less than half this amount. At present it is expected to generate £240m for the year ending in April 2019, which will go to school sports.
It comes after more than half of soft drinks sold in shops have had their sugar levels cut by manufacturers (制造商) so they can avoid paying the tax. Drinks now contain 45 million fewer kilos of sugar as a result of manufacturers' efforts to avoid the charge, according to Treasury figures. Since April drinks companies have been forced to pay between 18p and 24p for every litre of sugary drink they produce or import, depending on the sugar content.
However, some high sugar brands, like Classic Coca Cola, have accepted the sugar tax and are refusing to change for fear of upsetting consumers. Fruit juices, milk-based drinks and most alcoholic drinks are free of the tax, as are small companies manufacturing fewer than 1m litres per year.
Today's figures, according to one government official, show the positive influence the sugar tax is having by raising millions of pounds for sports facilities (设施) and healthier eating in schools. Helping the next generation to have a healthy and active childhood is of great importance, and the industry is playing its part.
303. Why was the sugar tax introduced?
A. To collect money for schools.
B. To improve the quality of drinks.
C. To protect children's health.
D. To encourage research in education.
304. How did some drinks companies respond to the sugar tax?
A. They turned to overseas markets.
B. They raised the prices of their products.
C. They cut down on their production.
D. They reduced their products' sugar content.
305. From which of the following is the sugar tax collected?
A. Most alcoholic drinks.
B. Milk-based drinks.
C. Fruit juices.
D. Classic Coke.
306. What can be inferred about the adoption of the sugar tax policy?
A. It is a short-sighted decision.
B. It is a success story.
C. It benefits manufacturers.
D. It upsets customers.